Day 149, 150 & 151 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Friday October 2nd was day 149 for Charlie & I and it was day 13 for the caravanners on the American Mountain Music tour. Becky and I took a walk today, we went down the road behind the campground that borders the Cumberland River. 

This purple flower grew out of a rocky area and it reminded me about persistence! “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” - Denis Waitley

It was a quiet morning before we rounded everyone up at 11am to head to the General Jackson Boat tour. We are on the noontime sailing of the General Jackson Showboat. It's a combination of an excellent meal, entertainment and history. 

 We started out on the bow, enjoying the cooler weather.

But the rain quickly came in.

We took cover under the walkway at some high top tables. 

Because of the rain and wind, they opened the dining room early and we were able to get our seats. 

It certainly did not look like a full sailing, which was nice for us!

We grabbed a buffet lunch while we were “rollin’ on the river.” There were stunning views, and toe-tapping entertainment in the  two-story Victorian Theater and a delicious meal in the dining room.

Our caravanners love to have fun! Darlene, Michele's mother, wanted to wear Tim's cowboy hat! 

One of the largest showboats ever built, the General Jackson is a showpiece of American ingenuity. With its elegant touches and stately design, the boat is reminiscent of the luxury of the American Victorian era. Showboats have long been a colorful part of our nation’s history, and this most unique Nashville attraction epitomizes the grace and grandeur of the South.

The General Jackson Showboat is named after the first steamboat to operate on the Cumberland River in 1817. It was built by the largest inland shipbuilder in the US, Jeffboat, located in Indiana. The General Jackson was launched on the Ohio River in Indiana to start the journey to its new home on Nashville’s Cumberland River on April 20, 1985. On July 2, 1985, it was christened by Mrs. Thelma Gaylord.

We toured the Cumberland until we reached downtown Nashville. The Cumberland River has 381 navigable miles. The General Jackson dock is at mile 198. The average depth is 15-25 feet. A round trip to downtown Nashville and back is 14 miles. The headwaters are in Harlin County, Kentucky, and the mouth is at Smithland, Kentucky, where it joins the Ohio River.

I love the unique artwork along the river. This piece is called “Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machineworks”. No, it’s not made from leftover pieces of the Opryland roller coaster, which is a constant rumor in town. It is the product of a national competition to build the very first piece of art commissioned under Nashville’s “Percent for Art” ordinance which sets aside one percent of any of Metro’s general obligation bonds for public art. The contest was won by Alice Aycock, who based her design on the history of the east bank as an industrial site. Completed in 2007, the piece is 100 feet tall, 100 feet wide, and 60 feet deep. It rests on the foundations of an old gantry crane that once lowered barges into the river. It is one of the most photographed and recognizable works of public art in Nashville. 

We could see the old and new Nissan Stadiums. The current Nissan Stadium (open-air, natural grass) is in its final "Farewell Season" before being replaced by the New Nissan Stadium (enclosed, translucent roof) scheduled to open in February 2027. 

Nissan's original 2015 agreement to rename the current stadium, replacing LP Field, was reportedly worth between $100 million and $130 million over 20 years. While the exact price for the new 20-year stadium naming agreement remains confidential, industry analysts estimated the new rights could be valued between $10 million and $15 million annually.

The showboat turned around and we went back inside the Victorian theater to see the show!

The current midday lunch entertainment aboard the General Jackson Showboat is Nashville LIVE! It was an electrifying stage show featuring 75 years of country music hits performed by a live showband and cast. 

A couple of the musicians and singers were the same as last year, but there were a few new ones. Hosted by Perry Danos, featuring performers Amanda Shaw, Cat Stone, and Rob Lower, backed by band members Brian Czach, Dave Salyer, James Douglas, Dusty Knapp, and Mike Claiborne, alongside swing dancers Matheus Canteri and Nicole Renée.

The talent level was very high, it was a great show!

The remainder of the day was free for caravanners to explore Nashville. Mother Nature had other plans and the rain set in after we got off the boat. But, we stayed dry when we got on and got off, so we can not complain. Besides... they really need the rain!

Saturday, October 3rd, is day 150 for us and it is day 14 for the caravanners on the Yankee RV - American Mountain Music tour. 

It is our last full day in Nashville and it is jam packed with fun!

Our first of two “big” events today occur at 9:45am. We will walk in the footsteps of country music’s superstars and get an exclusive look at what happens behind the scenes of the show that made country music famous on our backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry House.

We enjoyed pictures outside of the Opry first! They are having an Opry Birthday Plaza Party event this weekend. So, they have various places to take pictures and starting at noon, they will have music on the outside stage.

The tour begins with a state-of-the-art theater experience with music, special effects, priceless archival footage, and superstar hosts Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

We stood under over $90,000 of Gibson guitars. This feature was specially designed for the Grand Ole Opry.

There are life size pictures of the stars everywhere!

We toured the artist entrance, where stars walk into the world-famous Opry House every night, and learned about the significant pieces of art and traditions.

We stood at the security desk, where every artist check-in. Each member has a mailbox, and you can send them mail. You don’t even have to know the zip code, or so our tour guide claims!

We could run our fingers over all the plaques that the Grand Ole Opry members install themselves when they are inducted.

Next was a glimpse and some information about the many dressing rooms that the stars use.

Every dressing room has a story or theme.

We sat in the green room, even though it was not green. In May of 2010, the venue was ravaged by a historic flood that forced the Opry House to close its doors for five months for restoration. The show pressed on at other venues across Nashville, including two former homes: War Memorial Auditorium and the Ryman. The Opry House was beautifully restored, and the show made its triumphant return on September 28, of that same year. 

This picture shows you the water mark from the floods, look for the dark line. Near the feet of the people in the middle of the picture.

We went backstage and even stood on stage. 

There are no better friends to stand on the stage and in the circle with!

We had free time until our dinner at Saltgrass and the Saturday night Grand Ole Opry show. 

Our farewell dinner was at Saltgrass Steakhouse. The Saltgrass Steak House in Nashville opened in early 2023 at the Opry Mills Mall. It holds a unique spot in the chain's timeline as Tennessee's very first and only Saltgrass Steak House location. The interior was custom-designed to reflect a rustic, Texas Hill Country aesthetic, complete with warm limestone walls, heavy wood furnishings, leather seating, and authentic trail memorabilia. We had a semi-private room to ourselves. 

The true "history" behind the restaurant's identity traces back to the mid-1800s. Millions of Texas Longhorns roamed free, and ranchers routinely drove their herds down to the Texas Gulf Coast to graze on the area's rich, natural coastal salt grass during the winter. 

The path the herders traveled became celebrated as the Salt Grass Trail, renowned for producing some of the best beef in the state. In 1952, a group of riders revived the historic trail ride to promote the opening of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo—a tradition that continues today and directly inspired the campfire-style cooking and scratch-made recipes used today.

 

The best thing about Saltgrass after the delicious food and the excellent service, was the fact that they did not rush us! We had plenty of time to reminisce about our last 2 weeks with each other! After dinner, we headed over to the Grand Ole Opry. This was the first time since our tour began, that we did not wear our "uniforms."

The Grand Ole Opry is the stage that showcases country music's past, present, and future. They have been home to country music for over 96 years. In 1925, a radio-loving founder of National Life and Accident Insurance Company convinced the company to launch its own radio station: WSM – named after their slogan “We Shield Millions." WSM went live for the first time on October 5, 1925.

George D. Hay launched the WSM Barn Dance with Uncle Jimmy Thompson, a 77-year-old fiddle player, on November 28, 1925 – widely known as the day the Grand Ole Opry was born. In December of 1927, following an NBC broadcast of Walter Damrosch's Music Appreciation Hour, George D. Hay proclaimed on-air, "For the past hour we have been listening to the music taken largely from the Grand Opera, but from now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry.” The new name for the WSM Barn Dance stuck.

The Grand Ole Opry celebrated 40 years at the Opry House on March 16, 2014, with an all-cast opener led by Old Crow Medicine Show, and performances by some of country music’s biggest names. In 2015, the show celebrated its 90th anniversary with a star-studded weekend-long birthday bash. The 2010s brought Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Old Crow Medicine Show, Little Big Town, and more into the Opry family.

In March of 2020, COVID-19 forced the Grand Ole Opry to make the hard decision to temporarily cancel live audience shows. In a historic moment for the Opry, the Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry broadcast live without an audience, via Livestream. The show continued to broadcast live on WSM Radio and Circle TV, which incidentally launched in January of 2020 – keeping the music playing and the circle unbroken. After seven months of performing without a live audience, in October of 2020, the Opry kicked off its 95th anniversary by welcoming back 500 guests to the Opry House – and so began a month-long celebration of the Opry, country music, its artists, and its fans. The Opry family continues to grow, with Rhonda Vincent, Lady A, Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, and many more inducted in the last few years.

The opening act, every Saturday night, is the Opry Square Dancers. They have been a Saturday night Grand Ole Opry tradition since 1952. This troupe of dedicated square dancers has performed every week at the top of the Saturday night show and following intermission. The Opry Square Dancers’ distinctive style of clogging is rooted in Southern Appalachian culture, and they are a crowd-favorite.

The 1st Act was Mark Wills. He achieved a pinnacle country music milestone when he was officially inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 11, 2019. Mark Wills was born Daryl Mark Williams in 1973. He is an acclaimed American country music artist known for his rich baritone voice and emotional, storytelling lyrics. Rising to fame in the late 1990s, he has secured his place in country music history with multiple Gold and Platinum records, 8 Top 10 hits, and a coveted membership at the Grand Ole Opry.

The 2nd Act was Rhett Atkins, he is scheduled to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on October 13th, 2026. Ironically, his induction date to the Opry is also his 57th birthday. Born, Thomas Rhett Akins Sr, he is an American country music singer and songwriter who famously transitioned from a mid-1990s chart-topping recording artist into one of Nashville's most prolific and successful contemporary songwriters. He is also well known as the father of country music superstar Thomas Rhett.

The 3rd Act was James William "Whisperin' Bill" Anderson III. He is an iconic American country music singer, prolific Hall of Fame songwriter, and television host. Born on November 1, 1937, in Columbia, SC. He earned his famous nickname due to his distinctively soft, breathy, and conversational singing style. He is a foundational pillar of the country music community and stands as the longest-serving member of the Grand Ole Opry, having originally joined the institution in 1961.

The 4th Act on Saturday night was Mandy Barnett. At age 18, Mandy Barnett was chosen as the original Patsy Cline in the hit jukebox musical Always… Patsy Cline for the show's 1994 run at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. She was born Amanda Carol Barnett in 1975. She is an acclaimed American country music singer and traditional pop crooner. Revered by critics as "a song's best friend" and possessing "pipes of steel", she is widely recognized for her deep, full-bodied vocals rooted in the classic torch-delivery style of Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee.

The first female announcer and regular host in the history of the Grand Ole Opry is Kelly Sutton. Kelly was the host for us tonight, October 3rd, 2026. She announces all of the acts and she does the "shout outs." Listen close and hear Yankee's Shout out!

The 5th Act was the infamous Oak Ridge Boys. They are one of the longest-running and most celebrated vocal quartets in American music, seamlessly blending country, Southern gospel, and pop. Originally formed during World War II in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the Oak Ridge Quartet, the group transitioned to country music in the mid-1970s and achieved massive commercial success with iconic multi-platinum hits like "Elvira" and "Bobbie Sue". Induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 stands as a testament to their enduring 50-plus-year legacy.

The Opry Square Dancers came back on as the 6th Act of Saturday night Opry.

The 7th Act was Vince Gill. He was inducted as an official member of the Grand Ole Opry on August 10, 1991, and was inducted on stage by country music legend Roy Acuff. He is an acclaimed American country music singer, songwriter, and virtuoso multi-instrumentalist. Renowned for his soulful guitar playing, masterful songwriting, and soaring tenor vocals, he stands as one of the most decorated and beloved artists in modern country music history. Over his prolific career, Gill has achieved massive solo success, fronted influential bands, and earned a record-breaking 22 Grammy Awards—more than any other male country music artist.

Vince Gill had a young guitar prodigy who frequently appeared and "picks" on stage alongside Vince and other legends at the Grand Ole Opry. Beyond Vince Gill, Parker Collins has built a rising music career playing with notable acts like Diamond Rio, the Monroeville Band, and various East Tennessee stages. Charlie and I have seen Parker before. He played with the Monroeville Band at a Bluegrass Festival we were at.

The on stage finale was a wonderful rendition, with all the guests from tonight, of Happy Birthday to the Opry. 

What a great night at the Opry!

Sunday October 4th was day 151 for Charlie & I and it was day 15 for the caravanners. It was our last morning together. 

We enjoyed our last breakfast together, took our walk down memory lane and hugged everyone one last time. The friendships we have made are for life! We were so engaged with everyone that no pictures were taken!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!